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Provo River Seasons and Hatch Charts Middle Provo River: Jordanelle Reservoir to Deer Creek Reservoir The middle stretch of the Provo River is a tailwater fishery with a freestone stream feel. Jordanelle Reservoir was constructed and filled in the mid 1990's. As a result, stream flows are more constant than they ever have been, and the fish and aquatic insects have responded favorably. The trout population consists of browns and rainbows, with the brown trout being the predominant species.

There is a great mix of hatches on the middle Provo. There are healthy populations of the typical Rocky Mountain aquatic insects such as midges, mayflies, stoneflies, caddis, sowbugs, and scuds. In addition to these, the middle Provo is also a great place to fish terrestrial patterns (land-based insects) such as ants, hoppers, crickets, cicadas, and beetles. There is almost always a hatch occurring on the river, so you can dish dry flies effectively the entire year.

Spring - March through May
The pre run-off months of March through May are an awakening period for the river. We see the first mayflies of the year, the Blue-winged Olives (BWO). The fish really key in on the BWO's after a steady diet of midges all winter. This is a great time to fish dry flies because the fish are unusually reckless in their frenzy to get to these size 18 mayflies. The hatch starts in March and runs into May. In addition to the BWO's, we still fish midges occasionally, see a few March browns, and run into the Skwala stoneflies. The Skwala hatch is a real bonus, mainly because it allows us to fish large dries with droppers, which is a tremendous way to pick up some larger fish.

June through August is a transitional period on the river, with run-off subsiding in late June and the river settling down during the middle of the summer. We start to see some of the good terrestrial fishing, in addition to pale morning duns (PMD), green drakes, caddis, yellow sallies, and golden stones. The caddis hatches are some of the heaviest you will ever see.

Fall fishing on the middle stretch of the Provo is both rewarding and challenging. September and October are still warm, with the fish still looking toward the surface for terrestrials. Fishing with dries and droppers is still the preferred method for taking the majority of our fish, although fishing with streamers during low-light conditions can produce some tremendous fish. When the weather finally changes, sometime around the beginning of November, we start to see the small BWO's again. The smaller fish are usually the fish that focus on the dries at this time, mainly because the larger fish are concentrating on spawning.

Solitude is the operative word for the Provo during the winter months. The patterns we use in the winter are really small. The fish have really slowed down as a result of cold water temperatures, which is usually around 36-39 degrees. The fish have retreated to the long slow pools of the river and do not feed as actively at this time. However, on nice days, the fishing can turn on, especially if the midges start to hatch.

The lower stretch of the Provo (the Canyon stretch) is a tailwater fishery, with the water flowing out of Deer Creek Reservoir. The lower river is a mid-sized river, with flows ranging from 125 cubic feet per second (cfs) during the winter months to over 1000 cfs during spring run-off. There are healthy mayfly populations in addition to stoneflies, caddis, sowbugs and scuds, midges, and assorted terrestrials. The lower Provo isn't known as a good dry fly river, which is unfortunate because both the blue-winged olive and pale morning dun hatches, not to mention the early spring midge hatches, really bring the fish to the surface. You are likely to catch rainbows, browns, and cutthroat in the lower Provo river.Spring - March through May

March is when the blue-winged olives (BWO) show up, and the midge hatch is in full force. You can start your day by fishing midges on the surface until about 10:00, take a coffee break, and then start to fish the BWO's by noon. The BWO hatch picks up momentum going into April, and by the middle of the month the hatch is in full swing. We usually start to see the effects of spring run-off by the end of April. Fortunately, the river runs clear for most of the run-off, so it is fishable during May. Nymphing is the main source of action for May-fly fishers, with the red devil (San Juan worm), sowbugs, and larger nymphs taking most of the fish.

Historically, the lower section of the Provo runs high during the summer months because of irrigation needs in the valley below, with flows in the 500-600 cfs range. Thankfully, the high flows are not a deterrent to the fish, and the PMD and evening caddis hatches are really strong. We also start to use some terrestrials coupled with droppers during this time, and there are assorted stoneflies that show up.

Early fall is the time to fish hoppers on the lower Provo. There are still some caddis around, but fishing a hopper/dropper combo is the most productive method for taking fish in September. In October, the brown trout are gearing up for their spawn, and they are very aggressive. We like to fish for them with streamers, particularly during low light conditions such as sunrise, dusk, or a storm. We catch most of our fish on streamers within 3 feet of the river bank, so you need to put your fly right on the bank with your cast. Remember, make your cast and retrieve and them take a step down the river- you need to cover water with this approach. The heavy brown trout population on the lower river goes into spawning mode by the beginning of November. As a result, the BWO hatch that occurs in November attracts the rainbows, cutthroats, and smaller browns to the surface. The larger browns are on their redds by the middle of the month, and we choose not to fish to them with glo-bugs, although many people do.

The flow of the Lower Provo is usually around 100 cfs in the winter, with water temperatures dropping to below 40 degrees. The fish lay up in the slower runs and pools, which is pretty typical for winter trout. They are not feeding aggressively at this time, but they are taking advantage of the small mayfly and midge nymphs, and sowbugs that may drift by. We usually nymph this time of year on the Lower, with the midge hatch becoming more of a factor in February.

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